


Lucky Encounter

by bilgegungoren00



Series: Karamel Fanfiction Challenge [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 1st chapter Kara POV, 2nd chapter Mon-El POV, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, F/M, Fluff, nothing but fluff, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 19:57:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11297763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bilgegungoren00/pseuds/bilgegungoren00
Summary: It’s not my fault he looks so much like a book boyfriend!Or, in which Kara decides to pay a visit to the bookstore Mon-El is working in.Bookstore AU (Karamel Fanfiction Challenge Week 1)





	1. Book Boyfriend

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all!
> 
> I know this will come as a surprise for some of you, but I promise, this fanfic does not include any angst at all. Not even one sentence of it. It's pure, almost sickeningly sweet fluff.
> 
> Hope you like it :)

Kara didn’t know for how long she’d been walking around the bookstore, walking from shelf to shelf, reading the back covers of the books that seemed interesting to her, yet she was pretty sure it’d been about an hour. Yet it wasn’t exactly _her_ fault. Knowing her tendency to get lost in bookstores—which wasn’t surprising at all for someone who got excited over a new book as a normal girl would get excited over new shoes—she’d opted to wait until Saturday to come here. Having just moved into an apartment two blocks from the store, she knew if she chose a workday to come she’d never be able to look through _everything_ before it closed.

And she wanted to look through _everything_.

So this Saturday, the moment the clock hit 10 a.m. she’d left her apartment and walked—almost _ran—_ to the bookstore, not wanting to miss a minute of all of the good books she’d be looking through. She knew the store was huge, she’d passed by it a couple of times, so she wasn’t taking any risks. Still, it took a bit of gathering up courage, taking a deep breath, and straightening up shoulders to enter it. And if she’d flinched when she heard a small bell ringing above her… Well, she’d blame the excitement of being able to rummage through a new bookstore.

She was glad that it was empty, so that no one saw her enter the store as if she was entering a supervillain’s lair.

Shaking her head she immediately got rid of those thoughts as her eyes caught a book on the shelf. She stopped in front of it before taking out the book, adjusting her glasses and flipping her hair over her shoulder. She’d promised herself that she’d buy only _one_ book before coming here—which seemed impossible, but she’d try—yet it seemed like her mind was trying to torture her, because even though she had three books in her arm she was still continuing to walk around the shelves.

But it wasn’t _her_ fault that the bookstore had three giant floors.

She sighed exasperatedly at herself before she put the three books over the shelf and turned her attention to the new book in her hand. She knew her father would be furious at her if she asked for more money for books… _again_ …yet what could she do if people published new books all the time that she just _had to_ read? And if the new book she took in her hand looked really _good?_ Or she absolutely loved books with powerful heroines, and that seemed to be the trend lately? It wasn’t like she was buying those books for the sake of buying books, she was actually reading them too.

She was so wrapped around her thoughts, her fingers tracing the sentences on the back cover of the book in her hand, that she didn’t notice someone approaching her from behind. And it was an accomplishment, because footsteps totally echoed in the store, and it being the morning without anyone around she should’ve been able to hear them. And yet, she only noticed the person’s presence when his voice interrupted her train of thoughts.

“I wouldn’t buy that if I were you.”

She was caught too off guard that she jumped with the voice, the book slipping away from her fingers and landing on the floor with a thud. She couldn’t stop a small scream from escaping her lips as she whirled around, wanting to face the intruder and scold them for interrupting her while she was trying to read something, but the moment her gaze found the guy, all of those words died on her tongue.

Well, correction: The words died on her tongue the moment her gaze found the _hot_ guy behind her. Because he totally looked like he jumped out of a book or a TV show, and for someone who spent almost all her free time reading or watching, Kara knew what she was talking about. He had dark brown, almost black messy hair, with a couple of strands falling over on his forehead. A cute grin was adorning his thin, almost pink lips—and even Kara’s lips didn’t look that shade of pink no matter how much lip-gloss she put on. His eyes were twinkling with mischief behind his glasses, shining grey…or were they blue? Kara couldn’t really decide. No matter what, though, they looked really dreamy looking at he—

She immediately cut that train of thought as she shut her eyes, trying to pull herself together. What the _hell_ was the thinking, staring at a guy like that, a guy that she didn’t even know? Granted, he looked like all those book boyfriends she’d totally fallen in love with, but _that didn’t change anything._ At least it seemed like she needed to be reminded of that.

“You scared me,” she forced herself to say finally, opening her eyes, and immediately wanted to smack herself upside down for her choice of words and how thin her voice sounded. She was pretty sure a blush was creeping up her cheeks as her eyes met with the guy’s all over again, who now had the book that she dropped in his hand.

_And you were supposed to be scolding him for interrupting you. Good job, Kara!_

“Yeah,” the guy said as his eyes traveled on Kara’s face. This time, she was sure that she was blushing when she felt her cheeks heat. She narrowed her eyes, inwardly scolding her stupid heart for stuttering. A grin formed on the guy’s face—a grin that he seemed to fight and failed. “I noticed that,” he remarked almost nonchalantly. Before Kara could think of an answer—not that she could think clearly at that moment anyway—he extended her the book. “But, as I was saying, I wouldn’t buy this if I were you.”

Kara couldn’t help frowning at his words as she took the book tentatively. She glanced at the guy through her lashes before her eyes turned to the book. “Why?” she couldn’t help asking. Granted, she didn’t know the book or the author, so she really had no idea if the book was good or not, but it didn’t seem that bad… And the cover was really good…

The guy shrugged at her question as he tucked his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t like it at all,” he started explaining. “Reading it was like torture. The heroine… I don’t even remember her name, but she was way too overpowered. Took the thrill out of the book.” Kara could feel his eyes watching her as her gaze traveled on the book.

“Oh,” she said after a couple of seconds, not being able to think of another answer. She shook her head, trying to gather up her thoughts before she looked up—because she knew the moment she did they would scatter around all over again. “I thought… It sounded kinda cool.” An almost understanding smile appeared on the guy’s face.

“Me too, but guess you never know, right?” His eyes flickered to the end of the shelf they were standing next to. “But, if you’re interested in those types of books, I can suggest you one,” he offered, walking to her right. All Kara could do was follow him, right after she put the book in her hand back on the shelf. A voice in her head was asking her whether it was a really good idea to get book advice from a stranger, no matter how hot he was— _shut up, Kara—_ yet she couldn’t even think that as she watched the guy narrow his eyes at the books in front of him, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the covers until he found what he was looking for. A smile spread on his lips as he took it out—a smile that caused Kara’s heart to make a flip.

She seriously needed to get herself together, and _now_.

“This was one of my favorite books,” the guy said, taking her out of her thoughts—fortunately—as he turned to her. There was a red, hardcover book in his hand. “The heroine is, again, really strong and independent, with incredible powers too, but she’s not flawless. She trips and falls, struggles and fails too, which is, you know, interesting to read. It’s always nice to see her get back up again.” Kara didn’t miss the twinkle of joy that appeared in his eyes as he talked about the book, something she was familiar with. Her friends told her that she had the same look when she talked about books too. And somehow, that little thing was enough for her to decide to trust him—as if she wasn’t doing already—as a small smile pulled her lips.

The guy’s eyes snapped up from the book when he finished talking, and his eyes briefly flickered to Kara’s lips before he cleared his throat. Or else Kara was hallucinating. She was probably hallucinating.

He extended the book to her as his eyes found hers again. “And it has a great romance story in it too, if you’re also interested in that.” Kara took the book from him tentatively, her eyes curiously skimming over the back cover. And, she realized, he was right. This seemed way more interesting than the other one she got. A smile was adorning her lips as she looked up.

“Thank you…” she said with genuine gratitude before her eyes flickered to the nametag on the guy’s shirt. She inwardly cursed at herself for not noticing it before. “Mon-El.” _What a different name,_ she couldn’t help thinking, yet somehow… Somehow it fit him. _He_ was unique too, after all. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy talked about romance in a book being amazing. Every guy she knew thought it was nothing but cheesy and lame.

“You’re welcome…” the guy said, his voice trailing off. It took Kara a couple of moments to realize he was waiting for her name. Wanting to hit her head on a wall for being so awkward, she answered.

“Kara.”

“Kara,” Mon-El repeated, her name rolling off of his tongue almost too easily. Kara had to admit that the way he said her name sounded way better than how she just said it. And he actually pronounced it correctly at the first time, which did not always happen.

The corners of Mon-El’s lips curled into a smile, distracting Kara yet again from her mind. “Well, Kara,” he started, scratching his cheek absentmindedly. “I hope you like the book.” Kara couldn’t help clutching the book over her chest as she nodded.

“I’m sure I will,” she said confidently, not even knowing why she was so sure about that, before she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She also didn’t know why she was suddenly feeling nervous or…disappointed that the conversation was ending. _Get yourself together, idiot!_ “Anyway,” she said with a nervous laughter, “I should…. I should probably buy this. Thank you…again.” She spun around to face the registers, cursing at herself for being so awkward, as she started walking. And no matter how many times she told himself she wouldn’t look back at the guy—at Mon-El—she found her eyes flickering to the café as she grabbed the receipt from the cashier, only to see Mon-El cleaning a table, his eyes focused on it.

She took a deep breath, trying to get him out of her thoughts, before she turned around to leave. She didn’t even realize that she’d forgotten the three books she’d chosen above that shelf in the bookstore, her mind occupied with other stuff.

* * *

Kara didn’t know why she was feeling so nervous as she stood in front of the bookstore yet again, five days after since she first came here. Since she met Mon-El.

_Seriously, Kara, forget about him already!_

Yet if she forgot about him, she wouldn’t be standing here right now, with the book he suggested to her clutched over her chest. She wouldn’t be planning to go in there and find him to thank him. And she especially wouldn’t have put aside the book she’d been reading to read the book he’d suggested, finishing it as quickly as possible so that…so that she’d have an excuse to come here and talk to him.

_You’re being ridiculous._

_Shut up._

Trying to shut up the logical part of his mind she gathered up her courage and pushed open the door, feeling like her heart was about to beat right out of her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, as her eyes found the small café in the bookstore. And surely enough he was there, wiping one of the tables, his side turned to her. Air got hitched in her throat, and a part of her couldn’t help wishing that he didn’t look that…that hot or…cute at the same time. She didn’t think that was a combination that was possible in real life. She thought guys like that only existed in books.

She stopped her mind before it could scold her for her thoughts. _It’s not my fault he looks so much like a book boyfriend!_

She clenched her teeth as she ducked her chin, trying to avoid looking at him as she walked through the shelves, not even paying attention to the books. Well, she slowed down here and there to seem like she was, but the titles all blurred together with the pounding of her heart as her true focus was on the guy standing in the middle of the café. She tried to gather up her courage along the way to go talk to him—seriously, what could happen anyway if she did—yet somehow, when she stopped in front of the shelf where she met him, right across from the café, she realized that all those attempts had failed. She could feel her knees and hands shaking as she tried to swallow hard, repeating to herself over and over again that nothing bad would happen. Best case scenario, Mon-El would remember her, and say that he was glad she enjoyed the book. Worst case scenario, he wouldn’t, and…and she’d probably be embarrassing herself. But it wasn’t like she had to come here again at all if she didn’t want to. Right?

Still, the thought of it was enough to knot her throat.

Finally, after a couple of seconds—or had it been a minute—of staring absentmindedly at the books she lifted her chin and spun around, strutting to the café. She could do this. She would just go there, say hi like the confident woman she was, thank him for the book suggestion, and say that she really liked it. That was it. How hard could it be, right?

She realized that it could be _extremely_ hard as she stood in front of the table he was wiping, feeling like her knees would give up any moment out of fear. She stared at his arm for a second—seriously, how did he get all those muscles—before she cleared her throat to get his attention. She hoped her face didn’t look as red as she felt.

“Hi,” she breathed when her gaze met his. Mon-El straightened up when he saw her, surprise flickering in his eyes, as she forced herself to talk. _Talk._ Say something. Anything. “Hey, Mon-El,” she managed to say finally, and then closed her eyes, inwardly smacking herself. She could not have sounded more awkward.

Trying to shake off her fear she opened her eyes and continued. “Um, I… I don’t know if you remember me…” She adjusted her glasses as she watched a grin pull Mon-El’s lips. _Well, this is going well,_ her mind thought sarcastically. She quickly shut it up before she turned her eyes from Mon-El’s lips to his eyes. “But I…” There was no way he could’ve missed the shakiness in her voice, and now Kara wished a hole opened in the ground and swallowed her.

_Kill me now._

“Yeah,” Mon-El said finally, saving her from herself. “Yeah, Kara, right?” he said, putting the cloth in his hand aside. Kara’s eyes widened at that as her heart fluttered. He remembered. He remembered _her name._ She couldn’t help a smile from spreading on her lips at that as she nodded, beaming at him.

“Yes! Yes, Kara.” She cleared her throat and forced herself to loosen her grip on the book in her hand. “I just… I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely loved the book.” She looked at it briefly to gather up her courage. “You were right about the heroine. She was such an amazing character, but she was also, uh, you know, relatable.” She pushed her glasses up her nose before turning to Mon-El. “And the romance… It was really cute, as you said. I couldn’t help grinning in some of the chapters.” She could feel Mon-El watching her, his eyes traveling on her face from her lips to her eyes as she talked, yet she tried not to let that affect her. _Tried_ being the key word. She cleared her throat when she felt her cheeks starting to heat, and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Anyway, I just… I wanted to thank you for the suggestion.” She waved her hand in the air in a gesture to show that it was no big deal, even though she wasn’t even breathing as she waited for his answer. There was a huge grin on his face as he nodded.

“It was no problem at all. And yeah, I get what you think about the heroine. She’s definitely in my top ten all time favorite characters list.” Kara lifted her brows at that as she watched two pink dots appear on Mon-El’s cheek, as if he was embarrassed of what he just said. A strand of his hair fell over his forehead as he ducked his chin, and Kara felt an inexplicable urge to reach forward and push it back.

She gripped the book in her hand harshly to keep herself from doing that.

And even besides how cute he looked being embarrassed and awkward in front of her, she also couldn’t help thinking about what he just said. _Top ten all time favorite characters._ He had a list of his favorite characters. Something that even some of Kara’s friend that read frequently made fun of her for having. _As if he wasn’t perfect enough already, he just got way better,_ she couldn’t help thinking.

And shoved that thought so far deep in her mind that she wouldn’t have to think about it again.

“Yeah, I understand,” she told Mon-El with a nod, her eyes briefly flickering to his lips before she looked up. “Anyway, that was what… That was what I wanted to say. I’ll just…let you go back to your work now.” She flashed him a smile before she attempted to turn around, at least until his voice stopped her.

“Hey, Kara?” She looked at him with surprise as she watched him push a chair inside the table. “I don’t have much to do right now, and, um, there are a couple more books that I think you might like. At least I really enjoyed them. If you want, I can…I can suggest them to you.” He cleared his throat before he looked up at her, his eyes shining with hope, as if…as if he wanted her to say yes. Kara felt her heart skip a beat at that, yet it took less than a second for a smile to spread on her face. Her mind was screaming, at the top of its lungs, that she would _absolutely_ want that, yet she managed to stop it and opt for a calmer answer.

“Yeah, I…I’d like that.” She didn’t miss the way Mon-El’s eyes twinkled with joy and happiness as he mirrored his smile, leading her inside the bookstore.

* * *

Kara was so wrapped up in the book she was reading, another one that Mon-El suggested her the previous week when she came here, that she didn’t notice him approach her in the café until he dropped the latte in front of her. She mumbled a thanks, her eyes never even leaving the page she was reading—it wasn’t her fault that she was in the middle of a really thrilling scene—which made Mon-El chuckle. And Kara would be lying if she said her heart didn’t flip at that, and she momentarily lost focus in the scene.

Though her attention was completely diverted to Mon-El when he slipped into the seat across from her. She lifted her eyes from the book, her brows raised, as she watched him smile at her.

“Um, Mon-El?” she said tentatively, putting the book on the table, the page still open.

“Yes?” he said as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, getting comfortable in his spot. Kara’s eyes flickered to his arms for a second—seriously, he should be forbidden from wearing short-sleeved t-shirts—before she pulled herself together.

“Don’t you have, um, a job to do?” she asked him, forcing herself to keep her gaze on his face. She shouldn’t keep staring at his lips, or at his arms, if she didn’t want to make it all too obvious that she liked him.

Not that she liked him! Not at all! They barely knew each other for two weeks now. It would be utterly ridiculous. It was… It was merely a crush. Nothing else. A teeny tiny crush.

She immediately shut off those thoughts the moment she felt her cheeks starting to heat. Fortunately Mon-El shrugged at that moment, distracting her.

“Yeah, but not many people come to the café anyway. Gives me plenty of free time. Which is what I love about this place.” He flashed her a grin, and Kara was sure there were butterflies flying in her stomach. She looked around, partly to distract herself and partly to see if he was telling the truth, and realized he was right. There was only one more person in the café, who was so lost in the book she was reading that she wasn’t even looking at her coffee. “Anyway, I see that you’re reading one of the books I suggested,” Mon-El said, turning her attention back at him. “Do you like it?”

“Oh my God, yes,” Kara couldn’t help saying at that as she put her bookmark to the page she was on and put the book aside. She could feel Mon-El’s eyes watching her movement, surprise mixed with pride flickering in them, before he turned his eyes back at Kara’s. “I can barely drop it once I start reading. In fact, yesterday, I was reading it on the bus, and when I lifted my head to see if I arrived at my stop, I realized that I missed it.” Mon-El’s brows lifted at that as she continued, adjusting her glasses awkwardly. “By about three stops.”

A laugh burst out of Mon-El’s lips at that as he tried to cover it with his hand. Kara scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Hey! Don’t laugh at that,” she complained with a glare, yet watching him laugh like that, so carefree, so happy, she had to fight the smile that was shoveling its way onto her face. Yet she was pretty sure Mon-El could spot the twinkle of happiness in her eyes.

“Come on, Kara,” he told her as he finally managed to stop, yet still there was a huge grin on his face. “You can’t tell me that it’s not funny.” Kara narrowed her eyes at that before she sighed exasperatedly, raising her hands.

“Okay, fine. I admit. It might be a bit funny.” Mon-El shot her a look. “A _little_ bit, Mon-El.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe her words, yet the corners of his lips were twitching. Kara found herself smiling at him yet again. In fact, she seemed to be _always_ smiling when she was around him.

She didn’t know for how long she was looking at him, at his eyes, or for how long he was staring back at her, when someone called for him. That got him to tear his eyes away, and Kara could feel her cheeks burning as she ducked her chin.

_Way to go, Kara. Way to pull yourself together._

She told her inner voice to shut up as she glanced at Mon-El, who was standing up. He almost seemed apologetic as he looked back at her. “Sorry, I, uh, I have to take this.” Kara immediately nodded as she cleared her throat.

“Yeah, of course. I… I better get back to my book anyway.” She put her hand on the said book and chuckled nervously. Mon-El flashed her a small smile before he went back to the register.

And if Kara watched her take the order of some fifty-year-old man instead of “getting back to her book” as she said she would, she would blame _him_ for completely distracting her from something that she thought was impossible for her to get distracted from.

* * *

“Hey beautiful.” Kara lifted her head, less than five seconds after she sat down, with Mon-El’s voice, watching him slip her latte and sandwich in front of her before she even ordered. A smile pulled her lips.

“Hey yourself,” she said, resting her elbows on the table as Mon-El sat down across from her. “Another quiet day?” He shot her a look at that.

“Is there really a not-quiet day here?” he asked, lifting his brow. Kara couldn’t help laughing at that, but she also had to agree with a nod. She’d been coming here almost every day at her lunch breaks from work, and she’d never seen more than two tables occupied.

Which she didn’t mind at all, since it gave her time to talk with Mon-El without him worrying about customers.

They’d built a rhythm in the previous month she’d been coming here. At first it was a bit awkward for both of them as they tried to get used to it, but now, lunch breaks had become something Kara looked forward to. She’d come here the moment her break started with her purse and the book she’d been currently reading in her hand and sit down at her regular table. Mon-El would have a latte and sandwich prepared for her, which he put on the table almost at the same time as she sat down. And then he’d slip into the seat across from her, sometimes with a coffee in his hand, sometimes with a book, and they’d talk for almost thirty minutes straight. On particularly busy days—which meant there were more than two customers—that time was cut off earlier than she liked, but it was so rare to really bother her. After that half hour Mon-El would leave her to her book as he went behind the counter, and she’d get to read for ten minutes—if she didn’t watch Mon-El cleaning the counter. That happened more often than she’d like to admit. But she… She enjoyed it. She enjoyed coming here every day and seeing Mon-El, except when he wasn’t working. She was never a fan of cafés in bookstores, or sitting to read in them, yet she’d warmed up to it so quickly that it even surprised her.

And no, she refused to believe it was _all_ about Mon-El.

“Well,” she said as she slipped away from her thoughts, answering his question, “you’re right.” She pulled the sandwich close. “Thank you for this.”

“My pleasure,” Mon-El said easily before his eyes snapped up as if he just remembered something. “Oh, by the way, I just finished the third book in the Game of Thrones series.” Kara’s eyes widened at that as surprise flickered in them. She’d suggested that he read it about two weeks ago, and that it was better than the TV show—which it was, she’d argue with anyone that disagreed—but she didn’t even know Mon-El had started them. A smile pulled her lips.

“Yeah?” Mon-El nodded with pride in his eyes. “You didn’t even tell me you started it!” she complained, earning a laugh from him. He scratched his cheek.

“Well… I wanted to tell you, but I wanted it to be a surprise. Like I wanted to come to you after I finished the whole series. But then I realized the fourth book is really long, and I couldn’t help myself.” Kara shook her head at that as she couldn’t help an exasperated chuckle.

“Okay, you might be right about that,” she said, glaring at him when she saw a smug smile pulling his lips. “ _Might_ be. But anyway, what do you think? Do you like it?” She bit her lip anxiously as she watched Mon-El’s reaction. He gaped at her for a second before answering.

“Are you kidding me?” he said with a laugh, shaking his head. “I _loved_ it. You were right when you said it was better than the TV show. And, you know, I actually do remember the names of the characters.” Kara couldn’t help chuckling at that as she nodded.

“I know, right? It’s much deeper than the TV show, I think. There is a lot of backstory to the characters and their thoughts that is just impossible to reflect on screen.”

“Yes, exactly,” Mon-El agreed with an overly enthusiastic nod. “I’m so glad you told me to read them. Thank you about that.”

“Well,” Kara said, adjusting her glasses, “you’re very welcome. But it was only fair. You’ve suggested me so many books that I couldn’t even get through half of them yet. And all of them have been amazing.” Mon-El’s eyes twinkled with happiness at that as a smile spread on his lips, making Kara’s heart skipping a beat.

“Yeah?” he asked almost as a whisper. Kara nodded, trying to slow down her heart.

“Yeah.” Mon-El’s eyes traveled on her face for a few seconds, making her blush, at least before his smile dissipated and a serious look filled his face. He knitted his brows as he cleared his throat. “Talking about books that we liked…” Kara lifted her brows as she watched him reach down and take out a bag of the bookstore. He slipped it on the table. “I got you something.” His hand stayed on top of the gift for a second before he pushed it towards her.

Kara was so surprised that she couldn’t do anything at first as she stared at the gift for a couple of seconds. Her eyes flickered back and forth between Mon-El and the gift before she tentatively picked it up. Emotions had clogged her throat as she looked up, not knowing what to say.

“Mon-El, I… I can’t accept this,” she said, shaking her head. Yes, he’d suggested tons of books to her, but actually buying them… She was the one that did that. And if she suggested a book he’d paid for them. It was… It was a silent agreement between them. She’d never gotten him a gift, not because she didn’t think about it, but she thought… She thought they weren’t at that level in their friendship. But now, him getting her a gift…

She wondered if he could hear her heart slamming against her ribs.

“Kara, I got it for you.” He stopped her when he realized she was reaching for her purse. “And no, I’m not accepting a payment. It’s a _gift_.”

“Mon-El…” she attempted to complain again, but Mon-El’s gaze cut her words. She sighed exasperatedly. “Fine, okay, I… I accept it.” She swallowed hard to get rid of the knot in her throat, blinking away the tears of happiness that threatened her eyes. “But I didn’t get you anything, and—“

“Kara,” Mon-El interrupted her and chuckled, reaching forward to put his hand on hers. It took Kara a couple of seconds to pull herself together, staring at his hand, hoping her heart wouldn’t jump right out of her chest. “I didn’t get that for you because I expected something in return. That’s not what a gift is.” He ducked his chin to catch her eyes. “Okay?” Kara pressed her lips together, hesitating for one second before she nodded.

“Okay.” She cleared her throat when her voice sounded hoarse. “I just… Thank you, Mon-El. I don’t know what to say.” She attempted to take the gift-wrapped book out of the bag when Mon-El stopped her. There was something in his eyes, a nervousness, tension, as he looked at her.

“No,” he said, his voice quivering slightly. Mon-El cleared his throat. “No, open it later. When you get back to work.” Kara was about to disagree—she wasn’t one to like mysteries—yet the way he looked at her, the way he cleared his throat and almost avoided her gaze made her nod. Whatever it was, it must be serious for him to ask that.

“Yeah, sure,” she said with a nod, trying not to let it get into her head. “I’ll wait.” Mon-El flashed her a smile at that, yet for the first time it didn’t reach his eyes. It didn’t take a genius to see how tense he was.

And Kara couldn’t stop her stomach from twisting at that.

* * *

She’d been staring at the gift for what felt like minutes. She was back at her workplace, and the gift was sitting on her table. She wanted to open it, but after Mon-El’s reaction to it… She was scared. She was scared of what she’d find inside. She didn’t want to know what it was about this gift that got Mon-El so anxious, but whatever it was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

But of course her curiosity won over, and she found herself tearing up the wrapper, taking the book in her hands. She lifted her brows with surprise as she realized it was nothing but the book she said she wanted to read last week. She didn’t know what she was expecting anyway, but… Why would Mon-El be anxious about this?

Maybe because it was a gift? Or he was worried it wasn’t a good one?

She couldn’t help smiling as she shook her head, tracing the lines of the name of the book. It was a perfect gift, and it was even better that he remembered something that she only said once, a week ago. She couldn’t help her heart from skipping a beat at that as she clutched the book, pressing it over her chest briefly before she dropped it back on the table. She couldn’t help herself as she opened the first page, and stopped when she saw some words scribbled on it.

In Mon-El’s handwriting.

She leaned forward to read it—he didn’t have the best handwriting after all—and her heart almost stopped as she read it over to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

_I hope you like it. I’ve read it, and it was amazing._  
Maybe we could talk about it on a date?  
\- Mon-El

She could almost hear her heart pounding as she stared at the book for a couple of seconds before a huge grin spread on her face. She internally squealed and tried to stay cool since she didn’t think screaming in happiness at work would be the best choice. Yet she had to bite her lip to keep herself from doing that as she grabbed her phone, her fingers quivering as she opened her messages and pressed her Mon-El’s name.

**Saturday. 7 p.m. Noonan’s.**

She waited for his answer, her feet tapping on the floor, her heart fluttering in her chest. And surely enough, it came a couple of seconds later.

_See you there. :)_

Kara’s heart made a flip in her chest as she leaned back on her chair, a permanent grin plastered on her face, pressing the phone over her heart.

* * *

**7 months later**

Kara flipped the page of the book she was reading as she took a sip from the coffee, enjoying its almost burning warmth. It was barely 9 a.m., and since it was a Sunday technically she didn’t even have to be awake, yet she’d woken up about thirty minutes ago and decided to read when she couldn’t fall back asleep.

That was why the last thing she expected was a knock on the door.

Frowning she stood up, putting her book and coffee aside. She warily looked through the peephole before opening the door—who knew what kind of a person could come at this time of the day—only to come face to face with…

Was that a hoard of balloons and decorations?

A laugh burst out of her chest as she shook her head and opened the door. And surely enough, she wasn’t wrong. There _was_ a hoard of balloons and decorations standing at her door, in numerous colors, and if she wasn’t wrong she could see _HAPPY BIRTDHAY_ writings on the balloons. There were also two bags hanging from someone’s arms underneath all that.

Well, not someone actually. Mon-El. Because there was no one else that would knock on Kara’s door this early in the day with… _that._ She honestly couldn’t find a proper way to describe everything that was in Mon-El’s hands or around him.

The curtains of balloons and decorations parted when Mon-El spread his arms, revealing himself in a plaid shirt and a birthday hat. A huge grin was adorning his face. “Happy birthday!” he yelled, all the decorations shaking with his voice, and Kara couldn’t help laughing again as she shook her head.

“Mon-El,” she said as she stepped back to let him come in, “what are you doing here? It’s barely past 9 a.m.” She followed him to the living room where he dumped everything in his hand on the couch—except the balloons, which just flew to the ceiling—and chuckled again. Yet she also could feel her heart swelling at her chest, because the fact that Mon-El was here, right now, at this early in the day with all of those decorations… It meant he not only remembered her birthday, but he prepared for it. There was no way he could’ve put all those together in the morning.

“I’m celebrating my girlfriend’s birthday,” Mon-El answered Kara’s question as if what he said was the most normal thing in the world, and turned to her. “Am I not allowed to do that?”

“No, no, of course not,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms circled his waist as he pulled her close. “I just… It’s 9 a.m. in the morning, and you’re here, with enough things to decorate my whole house.” She frowned. “How much have you exactly spent on all of these?” Mon-El frowned as he looked over the stuff.

“Um… About 80 dollars, I think?” Kara blinked bewilderedly at that, her brows shooting up. She was just about to open her mouth and scold him when he continued. “Oh, minus the books, of course.”

“Mon-El!” she screamed, hitting him on the shoulder as she wiggled out of his arms and looked at the bags. And she hadn’t been wrong when she saw them in his hands, there were about 7 or 8 books in both of them. “Are you kidding me? This is… This is too much!” She lifted her head to look at him, only to find him behind herself. Mon-El wrapped his arms around her waist again. “I can’t accept this! There are fifteen books here.”

“Kara,” Mon-El whispered with a chuckle, leaning forward to press a kiss on his cheek. He rested his chin on her shoulder. “Relax, I didn’t buy all of them. They’re from the employees in the bookstore.” Kara’s brows lifted in surprise, making Mon-El sigh and explain. “I’ve been preparing for your birthday for a week, and they noticed. They even helped me hide my stuff from you.” A smile pulled his lips when he saw Kara narrow her eyes at that. “And since they all like you, they bought one book each. So relax, okay?” He pulled back to grab her arms and tug her close to him. “And besides, even if I did buy all of those, it would’ve been worth it.” Kara tried, really tried not to be affected with his words, but it was really hard to do that when he was looking at her with big, puppy eyes of his. She pursed her lips.

“Damn you. Why do you make it so hard to stay angry at you?” she complained as she hit his chest. A laugh bubbled out of Mon-El’s chest at that as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her lips.

“What can I say? I’m just loveable.” Kara couldn’t help rolling her eyes, despite the smile forming in her face, and then turned to the two book bags. Now that she’d found out Mon-El didn’t buy them all… She could get as excited about them as she wanted to.

“Oh my God, Mon-El, this is amazing!” she almost screamed, plopping down on the couch, pulling one of the bags on her lap. Mon-El sat next to her, his knee brushing her, as she started to rummage through the books. It took them about thirty minutes to get through all of them, especially since neither of them could stop themselves from commenting at the choices. The names of the employees were written on the post-its, and Kara could almost see their personalities behind their choices. She’d gotten to know most of them as she’d dropped by the bookstore more often than not, and it was… It was so nice to see they thought of her on her birthday.

Yet she couldn’t help feeling disappointed when she put aside the last book, and there wasn’t one from Mon-El. She wondered briefly whether this was his gift to her, books from other people, yet that…that just didn’t sound like him. In the last seven months she’d gotten to know him, she’d realized what a thoughtful and caring boyfriend he was.

And surely enough, she was proven right when he cleared his throat next to him. She turned to him, only to find him looking at her with a forced smile. She couldn’t help frowning as he extended a gift to her—obviously a book under the wrapper. “Now it’s my turn,” he whispered. A smile pulled Kara’s lips at that, and she almost wanted to smack herself upside down for thinking he didn’t get a gift for her. Because of course he did. Because that was who he was.

“You know, I think we’re the only couple who constantly buy each other books,” she joked as she opened the wrapper, to find an old copy of a book she remembered was his all time favorite book. And being a book lover herself, she knew how much that meant.

“Yeah,” Mon-El agreed with a nod before he cleared his throat. “By the way, that’s…that’s my copy of it. My favorite book,” he explained, scratching his cheek. “I wanted you to have it.” Kara felt her chest tighten at that as she looked up at him, and she could feel her heart stutter. A smile pulled her lips.

“Mon-El, this is… This is amazing. Thank you so much.” She couldn’t help herself as she reached up, pulling Mon-El to herself and pressing a kiss on his lips. She then pulled back, with a permanent smile, before she flipped open the first page of the book.

She was pretty sure Mon-El stopped breathing when she did that.

She was pretty sure she wasn’t breathing either when she saw the writing scribbled into it. Her eyes widened as she froze for a moment, rereading the writing, making sure she wasn’t dreaming before she looked up.

_Move in with me?_

She felt her heart flip in her chest as a grin spread on her face. “Yes,” she whispered, watching Mon-El’s reaction morph from scared to confused, and then to surprised, then to happy right before she lunged herself on him. “Yes!” she almost screamed this time. “Yes, of course I’ll move in with you.” She heard Mon-El laugh heartily as he caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist. They stayed like that for a couple of moments, Kara chuckling every now and then, feeling Mon-El’s smile as he rested his chin on her shoulder, before she pulled back. She cupped his cheeks, looking straight into his eyes.

“I love you.”

The words left her mouth without her intention, yet she didn’t even try to take it back. She knew they were true, she’d known they were true for some time now. And she didn’t regret saying them.

A smile spread on her face when she saw Mon-El’s eyes widen with shock, as if he didn’t expect that. But in a matter of seconds he was grinning too. He reached up, taking her face in his hands gently, his thumb stroking her cheekbone. “I love you too,” he whispered, his voice full of happiness and joy. Kara beamed at him at that, feeling like her heart was about to beat right out of her chest as it swelled. She leaned forward again, catching Mon-El’s lips in another kiss, and she realized in that moment how lucky she’d been that day, almost eight months ago, in the bookstore, that Mon-El chose to approach her. Because she’d never felt happier than when she was with him, and that was a feeling she’d never, ever wanted to let go of.


	2. Book Girlfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Congratulations, Mon-El, you’ve just turned into one of those guys in the books._
> 
> Or, in which Mon-El can't stop thinking about the beautiful blonde that visited the bookstore.

Mon-El’s eyes had caught the beautiful blonde, who entered the bookstore as if it was the hardest thing she had to do in the world, the moment she pushed the door open. He normally didn’t notice the customers entering—he’d gotten accustomed to the ring of the bell in the last six months he was working there. He only glanced at the door briefly before returning to his job at the café. If you could call wiping the tables and waiting for someone to order coffee a job. Not many people visited the bookstore, and from those that did, not many stayed long enough for a coffee. He was usually free most of the day, just reading his book behind the counter.

Yet this time this girl caught his attention when he lifted his head from the book. There was just… There was something about her that perked up his interest. Maybe because he’d never seen her before—and he’d seen almost everyone that visited the bookstore. Six months was enough time to be acquainted with the regulars, and nobody really visited the bookstore except the regulars.

Yet he had to admit that it was not only that, because just someone new wouldn’t be enough for him to completely drop his book mid-sentence and watch them. For something like that to happen… It _had_ to be something big. Like maybe the girl’s little flinch as she walked through the door and heard the bell. Or the way she took a deep breath and gathered up her courage as if she was getting ready to face off some big challenge. Or the way she strutted in, faking confidence, as if she wasn’t the one timidly looking at the huge bookstore just a couple of seconds ago.

Or maybe it was the way her fingers trailed on the spines of the books, or the way her hair bounced around her shoulders as she almost skipped from one shelf to another, or the crease that appeared between her eyebrows when she focused on the back cover of a book, presumably reading the summary. Like she was doing right now, standing by the shelf right in front of the café. Mon-El couldn’t help straightening up on his chair and ducking his chin to try and read the spine of the book she had in her hand, blaming his curiosity for books for it and nothing else. It wasn’t like he could be checking out a girl he _just_ saw five minutes ago, right?

Right?

Though he couldn’t help grimacing when he read the name of the book. It was… It might actually be one of the worst books he’d read, so much so that he couldn’t handle it by the middle and dropped it. And he _never_ dropped a book before finishing.

_Let it go,_ he told himself. He had to let it go. He couldn’t just walk up to the girl and tell her that the book was horrible, right? He never did that with other customers, and he’d seen a lot of them grab and buy books that caused him to wince visibly. He should just let it go and return to the book he was reading…

At least that was what he told himself as he put his book on the table and stood up.

The girl didn’t even notice him approach, seemingly lost in her thoughts and the book. Not that he could really fault her for that, he had a tendency to get lost in books too. His friends always mocked him about it.

He stopped right behind the girl and cleared his throat, wanting to smack himself when he realized how awkward it sounded, before he pulled himself together. Besides, she didn’t even seem like she heard him. “I wouldn’t buy that if I were you,” he said before he lost all his courage and turned around to leave like a coward.

The girl jumped the moment his voice reached him, her head snapping up as the book slipped away from her fingers. A small scream left her lips with the thud of the book. Mon-El couldn’t help it as the corners of his lips tipped up, watching the girl whirl around with her golden curls bouncing around her shoulders. In a way that was…that was just so _cute,_ so _adorable._ Mon-El honestly couldn’t find another word to describe it, and he’d read a lot of books that described girls with golden hair. Though if he had to be honest, as he realized only now, her hair wasn’t just gold. Its color ranged from the deepest shade of brown to lightest shade of blond in a full spectrum, somehow creating something…magical looking. He didn’t even know how it looked so _bright_ and _shiny._

He quickly shook away from his thoughts, cursing himself for literally getting lost in a girl’s _hair._ He could almost hear his best friend, Winn, mocking him for it, saying that only _he_ would pay more attention to a girl’s hair than her legs. Which…admittedly…he’d done before. But that was not the case.

He turned to the girl’s face, to the eyes that were watching him so intently, so widely. They were a bright shade of blue, like how sky looked when it was cloudless and the sun was shining. Like how stars blinked on the night sky. So freshening, so light, like… _comets._

_Congratulations, Mon-El, you’ve just turned into one of those guys in the books._

He immediately shut his inside voice as he watched the girl shut his eyes, as if trying to pull herself together, a crinkle appearing between his brows. He couldn’t help thinking how even _that_ was cute as he leaned down to grab the book that she dropped.

“You scared me,” the girl said with a thin voice as he stood up, opening her eyes. He saw that her cheeks were reddening, her lips tightly pressed together. He couldn’t help smiling at how flustered he looked.

“Yeah,” he said with a small nod, seeing her blush even more. Honestly, he hadn’t thought that was possible. He always thought when some authors talked about girls blushing to the color of a _tomato_ they were kidding. But looking at this girl…

Yeah, apparently it was possible to blush like a tomato. Though he never thought it would look this adorable—

_Mon-El!_

He pushed away his thoughts as he watched the girl narrow her eyes. A grin pulled his lips as he extended the book to her, trying to ignore his stuttering heart. “I noticed that,” he continued, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “But, as I was saying, I wouldn’t buy this if I were you.”

With that the girl seemed to have slipped from whatever she was thinking as she frowned at the book. She took it from him tentatively, as if it was a bomb or something, before she glanced up at him. “Why?” she asked, seeming genuinely confused. Mon-El just shrugged as he tucked his hands into his pockets, forcing himself to rip his eyes away from the girl’s lips and look at her eyes.

“I didn’t like it at all, reading it was like a torture,” he tried explaining before he knitted his brows, forcing himself not to grimace. “The heroine… I don’t even remember her name, but she was way too overpowered. Took the thrill out of the book.” He watched the girl as her gaze traveled on the book. She didn’t say anything for a while, at least until a small “Oh,” left her lips. The corners of Mon-El’s lips tipped up at the…the innocence of that little word as he felt his heart fluttered. He ignored that too—just as he was ignoring every single reaction of his body—and focused on the conversation instead. The girl shook her head as if she was thinking about something before she looked up.

“I thought… It sounded kinda cool,” she said, sounding almost disappointed. Mon-El just smiled at her.

“Me too, but guess you never know, right?” He hoped she didn’t notice the way his eyes traveled on her face before they turned to the shelf, and he _really_ hoped he wasn’t blushing as red as she had. “But,” he continued, walking to the end of the shelf, “if you’re interested in those types of books, I can suggest you one.” He felt her follow him from her footsteps as he glanced through the shelf, his fingers moving over their spines, looking for the book that he _knew_ was there. He’d picked it up from here about a month ago. And surely enough there it was. He smiled triumphantly as he took the red book out of the shelf.

“This was one of my favorite books,” he said as he straightened up and turned to the girl. He hoped he didn’t sound overly enthusiastic as he continued. He had a tendency of doing that when books were concerned. “The heroine is, again, really strong and independent, with incredible powers too, but she’s not flawless. She trips and falls, struggles and fails too, which is, you know, interesting to read. It’s always nice to see her get back up again.” He snapped out of his thoughts as he looked up, feeling his cheeks heat when his eyes lingered one second too long on her lips before they turned to her eyes. He cleared his throat, hoping she didn’t notice that, and extended the book to her. As if he hadn’t already been acting too awkward.

Seriously, whatever this was, he needed to snap out of it _now._

“And it has a great romance story in it too, if you’re also interested in that,” he said as the girl took the book from her, her eyes skimming over the back cover. He waited for her to read it, watching as a small, genuine smile formed on her lips, a smile that made his heart flip. Seriously, how could someone look so cute at everything she did? It was as if she jumped out of some book.

Not that it was any of his business. Because it wasn’t. _It wasn’t._

“Thank you,” the girl said as she looked up, taking his attention. He was all too glad for it as her eyes turned to his shirt. “Mon-El.” His heart skipped all over again when he heard her saying his name, as if she was testing it on her lips. Her eyes twinkled with happiness as she looked up again. Mon-El forced himself to focus as he answered.

“You’re welcome…” His voice trailed off when he realized he didn’t know _her_ name _,_ and looked at her intently, waiting, hoping for her to tell it. She looked confused for a second, but then it was as if realization dawned on her.

“Kara,” she said, adjusting her glasses quickly and nervously.

“Kara,” Mon-El repeated. The name almost came too easily to him. And… And it was a good name. A beautiful name. Like her.

_Cut it, Mon-El._

He couldn’t help it as the corners of his lips pulled into a smile. “Well, Kara,” he continued, scratching his cheek to shake off his nervousness. “I hope you like the book.” Kara clutched the book over her chest as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“I’m sure I will,” she said almost too confidently, in a way that made Mon-El’s heart swell. “Anyway,” she laughed nervously, “I should… I should probably buy this. Thank you…again.” With that she spun around, almost too quickly, to walk to the registers. Mon-El watched her walk there, not being able to take his eyes off of her even as he walked up to the café, no matter how many times he told himself that he was being ridiculous.

He only managed to look away, focusing on the table in front of him to clean it, after too many minutes have passed. Yet still the thoughts of the girl with blue eyes and golden hair, _Kara_ , occupied his thoughts for far longer.

* * *

Five days. It’s been five days since she last came to the bookstore. First and…last time. And Mon-El knew that, because for the last few days, ever since he saw her that Saturday, his eyes had been looking for her. Searching her. For someone who claimed he barely even noticed the bell above the bookstore’s doors, he’d surely been paying too much attention to that now. Looking up whenever he heard it. Even if he was reading, and even if it was literally the _most exciting part of the book._

He truly wanted to smack himself upside down for acting like a teenage boy. Yes, Kara might’ve been beautiful with those blue eyes and blond curls, and she might’ve been really, really _cute_ —he really needed to stop using the word cute—but that didn’t change anything. They barely knew each other, for God’s sake! And… And she’d even probably forgot about him anyway, or only remembered him as that guy that suggested a book to her in the bookstore. Nothing else.

He was being ridiculous.

Still, when he heard the bell ring again, he found himself looking up as his hand cleaning the table stilled over it. He inwardly cursed at himself for not being able to control himself—

_It was her_.

He felt himself freeze the moment his eyes found the petite figure of Kara, with her blond curls bouncing around her shoulders. His heart started slamming against his ribs as he looked away, focusing on the table, hoping his arms weren’t shaking, when he saw Kara’s eyes turning to him. He was pretty sure there was a blush creeping up his cheeks as he forced himself to wipe the table. Just _focus on wiping the table_. Not look up. Not look at her. Or go next to her. Talk to her. _None of that._

But of course, thinking that was far easier than doing it. But… But he’d already went next to her and introduced himself…made an excuse to introduce himself…the last time. He couldn’t do that again. It would be too…too pathetic, too desperate. Besides, she’d say hi if she remembered him, right? And if she didn’t…

Then he’d have to let it go.

He grimaced as he pressed the cloth over the table harshly, realizing that probably he was cleaning the same spot for the third time, yet he could barely move because of his shaky knees. He was this close to just throwing all logical thoughts out the window and going next to her. So close that it scared even him.

Yet before he could do such a stupid thing he heard footsteps coming her way. Footsteps that sounded confident, but…but way too louder than normal. His heart sped up as if it knew exactly who it was, even before he caught the hem of her floral dress.

_It was her._

He forced himself to keep his focus on the table, at least until she said anything, yet it was extremely hard with his heart slamming against his ribs and his heartbeats ringing in his ears a bit too harshly. He had to harshly grasp the back of the chair in front of him to keep himself steady.

And then she cleared her throat.

Mon-El’s heart skipped a beat all over again.

And he truly hoped the surprise he’d faked looked real as he straightened up and look at her, air leaving his lungs for a second when their gazes met.

Gosh, how did she manage to look so…so _beautiful_ and _adorable_ at the same time? That was a combination that should be illegal.

“Hi,” she breathed, as if she was out of breath, as she clutched the book in her hands tightly. He couldn’t help noticing—well, he’d actually noticed it when she first walked through the door, but he hadn’t been sure—that the book was the one he suggested her.

She was carrying the book _he_ suggested.

His heart fluttered so much that he was pretty sure it showed up on his face. He hoped it wasn’t the case.

He slipped away from her thoughts as Kara continued. “Hey, Mon-El,” she said, almost squeaked, and then closed her eyes. Mon-El didn’t miss the blush creeping up her cheek before she opened her eyes. “Um, I… I don’t know if you remember me…” She adjusted her glasses in that…that cute way she did, and Mon-El couldn’t help a grin from pulling his lips. He saw her eyes flickering there briefly before they shot up, but it’d happened so fast that there was a good chance he’d hallucinated it. Or else he really, _really_ wanted it to happen. “But I…” Kara tried to say again, yet her voice trailed off when it started to quiver.

“Yeah,” Mon-El said immediately when he saw her discomfort. “Yeah, Kara…right?” he asked, as if he didn’t remember her name clearly. As if he didn’t think about it all the damn time the last few days. As if he could forget her.

All of those thoughts scattered when Kara beamed at him, a huge smile appearing on her face. And he found himself watching her, completely in awe, as she spoke. “Yes! Yes, Kara,” she said almost too enthusiastically before she cleared her throat. She loosened her grip on the book in her hand. “I just… I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely loved the book. You were right about the heroine. She was such an amazing character, but she was also, uh, you know, relatable.” She pushed her glasses up her nose before she looked up, her blue eyes—still as bright as he remembered—flickering around his face. “And the romance… It was really cute, as you said. I couldn’t help grinning in some of the chapters.” Mon-El couldn’t help himself, looking at her lips—as if he hadn’t been doing that for the last couple of minutes—when she cleared her throat, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. She was blushing all over again, making Mon-El realize that it was so, so easy to get her to blush. Yet somehow even the pink cheeks looked good on her.

“Anyway,” Kara said, taking him out of his thoughts again as she waved her hand in the air, as if what she was saying wasn’t a big deal, “I just… I wanted to thank you for the suggestion.”

Mon-El could feel himself grinning as he nodded, pride filling his chest that he managed to get her to like the book, so much so that she felt the need to come here and talk to him about it. That was a good sign, right? And she also remembered his name…which was written on his nametag.

Yeah, he was getting ahead of himself again.

“It was no problem at all,” he forced himself to say to focus on the conversation back again. “And yeah, I get what you think about the heroine. She’s definitely in my top ten all time favorite characters list.” The words left his mouth before he even thought about that, and he felt heat rushing to his cheeks when he saw Kara arching her brows. _Top ten all time favorite characters? Seriously, Mon-El?_ he couldn’t help thinking to himself as he ducked his chin. Of course he had to go ahead and say that, embarrass himself in front of her all over again, as if he hadn’t done it enough already.

Fortunately, Kara nodded before he could flush all over in front of her. “Yeah, I understand,” she said as her eyes flickered around on his face. “Anyway, that was what… That was what I wanted to say. I’ll just…let you go back to your work now.” She flashed him a smile, and before he could do anything she was turning around…

No. He couldn’t let her leave. Not yet. They’d just… They’d just started talking!

“Hey, Kara?” he said, the words leaving without his intention. He pushed the chair that he was holding as Kara looked back at him, surprise twinkling in her eyes, and he tried to gather up his courage. “I don’t have much to do right now,” he started, “and, um, there are a couple more books that I think you might like. At least I really enjoyed them. If you want, I can…I can suggest them to you.” He cleared his throat before he looked up at her. He was pretty sure the hope bubble that had just filled his chest shone on his face too. _Please say yes,_ he couldn’t help thinking. _Please say yes._

His heart made a flip in his chest when he saw a smile spread on her face. “Yeah, I…I’d like that,” she said. Joy filled Mon-El’s lungs as he couldn’t help smiling either. And he was pretty sure the smile would stay for a while as he led her inside the bookstore.

* * *

Kara was so focused on the book she was reading that she barely noticed Mon-El putting the latte on the table. He heard her mumble a thanks, her eyes not even leaving the book, and he couldn’t help chuckling at that as he couldn’t help watching her. He’d actually been watching her from behind the counter for a couple of minutes as he prepared her latte. But it wasn’t exactly his fault! Kara was the one looking all cute as she read the book, her lips moving every now and then, and her crinkle showing up whenever she was flustered over something. She was just… _ugh._

Mon-El was ready to turn around and leave Kara to her book, but he hadn’t seen her around for the last two days, and before that they could only chat in a haste, and… He’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss her. So he turned around with a very, very impulsive decision, pulled the chair across from Kara, and slipped onto it.

With that, at least Kara lifted her eyes from the book with her brows raised. He forced himself to smile at her, trying to calm his thundering heart.

“Um,” she said tentatively, putting the book down—he noticed how she still didn’t close the page, and somehow that was so relatable that his smile widened. “Mon-El?”

“Yes?” Mon-El said, relieved that his voice wasn’t shaking, as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. He hoped he looked more comfortable than he felt. He watched as Kara’s eyes travel on him before she continued.

“Don’t you have, um, a job to do?” she asked, her gaze trained on his face. Her eyes were wide, too wide almost, highlighting the blue of her eyes. The comet-like eyes that Mon-El couldn’t forget, even when she wasn’t around. _Especially_ when she wasn’t around. He’d seen many blue eyes in his life, but none of them were as bright and beautiful as hers.

No one was as bright as beautiful as her.

It wasn’t a surprise that he’d developed a complete crush on her.

He immediately wanted to smack himself upside down the moment that thought seeped into his head, and instead tried focusing on Kara. Yet, still, he couldn’t stop his heart from beating a bit too fast. He forced himself to speak.

“Yeah, but not many people come to the café anyway. Gives me plenty of free time. Which is what I love about this place.” He offered her a carefree grin as he watched her look around the café, her cheeks slightly red. She seemed to realize that he was telling the truth as he continued. “Anyway, I see that you’re reading one of the books I suggested. Do you like it?” he couldn’t help asking, even though it was pretty obvious from her reactions. Still, he looked over her nervously before she answered.

“Oh my God, yes,” she almost gasped as she put the bookmark on the page she was on and closed the book. Mon-El watched her, surprise and awe filling her that she’d just…she’d just done that…left the book at an exciting place, just to talk to him. He could feel his heart filling with happiness when he looked up at Kara. “I can barely drop it once I start reading,” she continued. “In fact, yesterday, I was reading it on the bus, and when I lifted my head to see if I arrived at my stop, I realized that I missed it.” Mon-El lifted his brows at that, even though he was all too familiar with it. “By about three stops,” Kara said finally as she adjusted her glasses.

A laugh unexpectedly left Mon-El’s lips at that. He couldn’t help himself, and even though he tried to cover it with his hand, he could see Kara scowling at him and crossing her arms over her chest. “Hey! Don’t laugh at that,” she complained with a glare, yet Mon-El could see that she was also fighting a smile from the way the corners of her lips twitched and the way her eyes twinkled with joy.

“Come on, Kara,” he told her when he finally calmed down. Yet still, no one could erase the huge grin from his face. There was just…something…about this girl that always managed to make him smile, no matter the situation. “You can’t tell me that it’s not funny.” Kara narrowed her eyes at that at first, as if she was ready to argue, but then she sighed exasperatedly and lifted her hands.

“Okay, fine,” she gave up. “I admit. It might be a bit funny.” Mon-El couldn’t help shooting her a look. “A _little_ bit, Mon-El,” she insisted, making him shook his head with disbelief. He struggled to stop smiling, yet it was impossible when Kara was smiling at him like that, looking at him like that.

That was probably why it took him a bit of time to notice someone calling for him. He tore his eyes away from Kara, feeling his cheek burn with the fact that he was so distracted by the way they were staring at each other that he didn’t notice a customer. He could see Kara ducking her chin from the corner of his eyes.

It was almost too hard to stand up as he sent an apologetic look at her way. “Sorry,” he apologized, “I, uh, I have to take this.” Kara nodded and cleared her throat.

“Yeah, of course. I… I better get back to my book anyway.” She put her hand on the book almost protectively and chuckled. Mon-El couldn’t help smiling at her one last time before he went to the registers.

And if, after taking the latest order and preparing the drink, he continued to watch Kara read her book fascinatedly, he would blame _her_ for being way too adorable while she was reading.

* * *

Mon-El had her latte and sandwich ready when he saw Kara sit at her usual spot in the café. He took a deep breath, hoping his hands weren’t shaking as he took the tray and the bag he’d been hiding behind the counter, and brought it to Kara. He slipped the tray in front of her almost the moment she sat down.

“Hey beautiful,” he said as he watched her smile, and sat across from her on the table, hiding the bag under his chair. He tried everything he could do to forget about it—as if it was possible—as he focused on Kara’s words. She rested her elbows on the table.

“Hey yourself,” she chirped happily. “Another quiet day?” He couldn’t help gaping at her at that despite the situation.

“Is there really a not-quiet day here?” he couldn’t help asking and lifted his brows, his heard fluttering in his chest when that made Kara laugh. She agreed with a nod as she adjusted her glasses.

“Well,” she said, “you’re right.” She pulled the sandwich close. “Thank you for this.”

“My pleasure,” Mon-El said as he watched her take the first bite. This had been their routine for the last month, almost every day that he was working. He’d prepare her a sandwich and latte, timing her arrival, and then if the day was exceptionally quiet they’d chat for half hours before Kara’s lunch break was over and she had to leave. And he had to admit, he liked the routine. He liked it almost too much, getting to see her every single day of the week, getting to talk to this…this beautiful woman that…

Well, he couldn’t even deny that he liked her at this point. The bag under his chair was an indication of that.

And he was back to thinking about it when he promised himself that he wouldn’t, at least not until the time came to give it to her.

He tried to distract himself from his thoughts as he looked at Kara, opting to talk about a comfortable topic: books. “Oh, by the way,” he started, “I just finished the third book in the Game of Thrones series.” He saw Kara’s eyes widen at that with surprise.

“Yeah?” she asked, a smile forming on her face. Mon-El was sure his pride was visible on his face as he nodded. “You didn’t even tell me you started it!” Kara complained at that then. He couldn’t help laughing at the sudden mood change and scratched his cheek.

“Well… I wanted to tell you,” he admitted, “but I wanted it to be a surprise. Like I wanted to come to you after I finished the whole series. But then I realized the fourth book is really long, and I couldn’t help himself.”

Well, at least his ability to make stuff up on the spot hadn’t rusted, because he really wasn’t planning to tell her until the series was over. He was just too worried about his “gift” that he’d totally forgotten that. And…the fourth book was really long…

“Okay, you might be right about that,” Kara said. A smug smile appeared on Mon-El’s face at that, he couldn’t help himself, which earned a glare from Kara. “ _Might_ be,” she repeated before she changed the topic, excitement filling her eyes. “But anyway, what do you think? Do you like it?” She bit her lip in that anxious way she did.

Mon-El gaped at her before he answered. “Are you kidding me?” he asked with a laugh and shook his head. “I _loved_ it. You were right when you said it was better than the TV show. And, you know, I actually do remember the names of the characters.” He couldn’t help beaming at Kara when he heard her chuckle with a nod.

“I know, right?” she almost squealed, that excited glint shining in her eyes again. “It’s much deeper than the TV show, I think. There’s just a lot of backstory to the characters and their thoughts that is just impossible to reflect on screen.” Mon-El nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, exactly,” he agreed. “I’m so glad you told me to read them. Thank you about that.” Kara looked almost proud as she adjusted her glasses.

“Well, you’re very welcome. But it was only fair. You’ve suggested me so many books that I couldn’t even get through half of them yet. And all of them have been amazing.” A bubble of happiness filled Mon-El’s chest at that as he felt a smile spread on his lips.

“Yeah?” he whispered.

“Yeah.” Kara nodded. Mon-El’s eyes searched her face for a couple of seconds, watching her blush, before he realized… This was his chance. He had to give her the gift now, or else… Or else he’d never get the courage again. He _had to_ give it. He felt his smile dissipate as he knitted his brows, clearing his throat to slow down his thumping heart.

“Talking about books that we liked…” he started as he reached down and took the bag, clutching it almost too tightly. He slipped it on the table, hoping Kara didn’t notice the way his hands were shaking. “I got you something.”

He wondered briefly whether Kara could hear his heart pounding or see that he wasn’t breathing at all as he pushed the gift to her. His hand stayed on top of it for a couple of seconds without his intention as he hesitated before he let it go.

And it was done.

He tried to take a deep breath, to calm down, yet it was almost impossible as he watched Kara’s reaction. Her eyes went back and forth between the book and his face for some time before she picked the gift up. She almost looked like she was speechless.

“Mon-El, I…” she whispered, looking up at him. “I can’t accept it.” She shook her head, seemingly getting ready to give the book back to him. _No._ He couldn’t let her do that. He couldn’t let her give the gift back. If he took it now… He’d never find the courage to do something like this again. He’d already hesitated almost too much preparing this gift.

“Kara, I got it for you,” he stopped her immediately, especially when he saw her reaching for her purse. “And no, I’m not accepting a payment. It’s a _gift_.”

“Mon-El…” Kara started complaining, but Mon-El cut her words with his gaze. He clenched his fist on his knee to keep his fingers from shaking. An almost triumphant feeling filled his chest when he heard Kara sigh exasperatedly. “Fine, okay, I…I accept it,” she said as she blinked. “But I didn’t get you anything, and—“

“Kara,” Mon-El interrupted when he heard the regret in her voice. He chuckled as he put his hand on hers, wondering whether she was feeling as nervous as him. Well, okay, that wasn’t possible, but still, he wondered if her heart was beating as fast as his was beating right now. “I didn’t get that for you because I expected something in return.” _Well, at least not entirely._ “That’s not what a gift is.” He tried to catch her eyes. “Okay?”

He watched as Kara hesitated for a second, pressing his lips together, before she nodded. Her voice was hoarse as she answered. “Okay.” She cleared her throat. “I just… Thank you, Mon-El. I don’t know what to say.” She took the gift in her hand, attempting to take it out of the bag, when Mon-El stopped her immediately.

“No,” he said, wanting to smack himself when his voice quivered. _Way to go, Mon-El._ And even without his shaky voice… He was being ridiculous. It wasn’t as if he would never find out if he stopped her now. He was just postponing the inevitable. Still… Still, he didn’t think he could be in front of her when she actually opened it. “No, open it later. When you get back to work.” He could see in Kara’s eyes that she was confused and ready to argue, but something—maybe the way he was avoiding her gaze or rolling his shoulders tensely—made her nod, fortunately.

“Yeah, sure,” she said. “I’ll wait.” Mon-El forced a thankful smile at her at that, knowing it didn’t look genuine at all. It didn’t take a genius to see how tense he was.

And from the look Kara was giving him, it was pretty obvious that she definitely saw that.

* * *

It was the tenth time Mon-El checked his phone in the last two minutes. _Two minutes._ Two hundred and twenty seconds. Which meant that he’d been checking his phone in about every ten seconds for a message or call from Kara, which was ridiculously frequent, even considering the situation. And even besides that, his phone wasn’t even on silence, so he’d _know_ if she sent something.

Yet still, he found himself opening his phone all over again about fifteen seconds later, cursing at himself. It’d been half an hour since Kara left with _the gift,_ yet still there wasn’t an answer from her. There wasn’t anything.

Didn’t she want it? She didn’t want it, did she?

Shutting his eyes he tried not to think about that, yet it was hard when that was all he could think about. _Something could’ve come up,_ he thought to himself. _Or she might’ve wanted to open it later. It doesn’t necessarily mean that her answer is no._

Even he was aware of how pathetic that sounded in his ears. But…wasn’t the gift pathetic too? Wasn’t he the one asking her out _inside a book_ just because he was too afraid to do it face to face, using the books being their thing and all as an excuse. But in truth, he was just scared. So, so scared that she’d say no, and…and it would ruin their relationship. _Friendship._ It would ruin their _friendship._ Because even though he wanted to be much, much more than friends with Kara, friendship was much better than not seeing her again.

He checked his phone again, sighing at himself, before he snatched a glass from the counter and started preparing a coffee for himself to get his mind off Kara. And it was working…

Until he heard his phone buzz behind him.

He jumped as he whirled around, snatching the phone, his heart rate tripling almost immediately. He was sure he wasn’t even breathing as he opened his text at the third try—could you blame him for not being able to stop his hands from shaking—his lips pressed tightly together. And yes, it was from Kara. There was a text from _Kara_.

He held his breath as he opened to text, a part of him afraid to learn the answer, but the other way too excited about it.

His heart almost stopped when he read the three-word text.

**Saturday. 7 p.m. Noonan’s.**

Saturday. 7 p.m. Noonan’s.

_She’d said yes._

He felt his lips split into a huge grin when he realized that, relief and happiness washing over his shoulders as they sagged. It took him some time to write an answer because his hands were shaking so much. He had to literally grasp the counter tightly to keep himself from doing something stupid, like jumping around, or clapping, or squealing.

_See you there. :)_

He sent the text before he plopped down on his chair, closing his eyes with bliss, and pressed the phone over his chest.

* * *

**7 months later**

Mon-El tried to balance, desperately, all the balloons, decorations, and two bags of balloons in his hands as he stopped in front of Kara’s door and knocked on it, watching the balloons bump on the wall. He held his breath as he waited for Kara to answer, hoping it wouldn’t take long, because it was really, really, _really_ hard to carry all that stuff.

And surely enough, he heard a laugh from inside the house merely seconds before the door opened. His heart skipped a beat as a grin pulled his lips. He spread his arms in an attempt to see Kara, parting the curtain of balloons.

“Happy birthday!” he yelled, watching as Kara laughed again, her hair bouncing happily around her shoulders. She stepped back to let him in.

“Mon-El, what are you doing here?” she asked. “It’s barely past 9 a.m.” He could feel her following him as he went to the living room, dumping everything in his arms onto the couch before the weight snapped them. He took a breath of relief before he turned to Kara.

“I’m celebrating my girlfriend’s birthday,” he said nonchalantly. “Am I not allowed to do that?”

“No, no, of course not,” Kara shook her head with a smile as she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms circled her waist almost immediately, instinctively, at that, pulling her close. “I just…” Kara continued. “It’s 9 a.m. in the morning, and you’re here, with enough things to decorate my whole house.” She frowned as she looked over at the decorations. “How much have you exactly spent on all of these?” Mon-El frowned as he eyed the decorations too. He was pretty sure it was more than 100 dollars…but of course he wasn’t about to say that to Kara. He opted for a lower number.

“Um… About 80 dollars, I think?” He turned to Kara, only to see her blink with her brows lifted. She opened her mouth, presumably to scold him, but he interrupted before she could do that. “Oh, minus the books, of course.”

“Mon-El!” Kara screamed with disbelief, hitting him on the shoulder before pulling away from his arms to look at the books. “Are you kidding me? This is… This is too much!” She’d just lifted her head, her eyes searching him, as he hugged her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I can’t accept this! There are fifteen books here.”

“Kara,” Mon-El stopped her with a chuckle, kissing her cheek. “Relax, I didn’t buy all of them. They’re from the employees in the bookstore.” Honestly, he’d been really surprised when everyone handed him a book, telling him to give it to Kara for her birthday. Well, okay, he’d been partly surprised, because everyone in the store knew about the birthday since he’d been hiding all of his stuff there. “I’ve been preparing for your birthday for a week,” he tried to explain, “and they noticed. They even helped me hide my stuff from you.” He smiled when he saw Kara scowl. “And since they all like you, they bought one book each. So relax, okay? And besides,” he said, tugging her close, “even if I did buy all of those, it would’ve been worth it.”

Kara just stared at him for a couple of seconds before pursing her lips. “Damn you,” she whispered, hitting his chest again, lighter this time. “Why do you make it so hard to stay angry at you?” Mon-El couldn’t help laughing at that as he leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips.

“What can I say?” he said with a shrug. “I’m just loveable.” Kara rolled her eyes at that, yet seeing the smile forming on her lips Mon-El couldn’t help smiling too.

Of course, before Kara’s attention was completely diverted the books and she rushed to them. “Oh my God, Mon-El, this is amazing!” she almost screamed and plopped down on the couch, pulling the bags close as if they were so precious for her. Mon-El sat next to her, letting her sort through the books, not being able to stop himself form laughing or smiling at some of her reactions. Yet the more they approached the end, the more anxious he got, as the inevitable part of the day came closer and closer. As he felt the gift hidden behind him, underneath the decorations, more and more.

Yet it came almost too soon, and he found himself clearing his throat to get Kara’s attention. She turned to him, her brows furrowed. He hoped the smile on his face didn’t look too forced as he took the gift out, extending it to Kara. “Now it’s my turn,” he whispered. A genuine smile pulled Kara’s lips at that as she took the gift.

“You know,” she said as she started to tear the wrapper, completely oblivious to how tense Mon-El was, “I think we’re the only couple who constantly buy each other books.”

“Yeah,” Mon-El could only say as he watched her take the book out. He wasn’t even sure he was breathing as he continued, clearing his throat. “By the way, that’s…that’s my copy of it. My favorite book.” He scratched his face to hide how tense he was feeling. “I wanted you to have it.” _And if I’m lucky enough it will be ours shortly._

He could see the happiness filling Kara’s eyes as she looked up at him with a smile. “Mon-El, this is…” she said, shaking her head absentmindedly. “This is amazing. Thank you so much.” She reached up and pulled Mon-El to herself to press a kiss on his lip. There was a smile adorning her face when she pulled back, at least before she turned to the book and opened the first page.

Mon-El sucked in a sharp breath and held it as Kara froze next to him. He couldn’t even breathe as he watched her. And he was almost sure she wasn’t breathing either as she read what was written on the page before looking up.

_Move in with me?_

“Yes,” she whispered, the word catching Mon-El almost too off guard. It took him a couple of moments to realize she said yes— _she said yes—_ before a smile pulled his lips and relief washed over him. He was almost knocked back when Kara lunged herself on him. “Yes!” she screamed with a happy laugh. “Yes, of course I’ll move in with you.” Mon-El found himself laughing as well, so carefreely, so happily, as he wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder briefly, feeling his heart thump in his chest, before Kara pulled back. He was pretty sure she could hear his heart pounding as she cupped his cheek with the happiest smile he’d seen in his life, her eyes staring right into his.

“I love you,” she whispered a couple of seconds after that. Mon-El froze at that, at first thinking he heard her wrong. He must’ve heard her wrong, right. There was no way…

She loved _him_?

She _loved_ him.

_She loved him_.

He felt a grin spread on his face when he watched Kara smile too. He couldn’t help it as he reached up with shaky hands and cupped her cheeks gently, stroking them with his thumbs. “I love you too,” he whispered without hesitation, 100% honestly. Hell, he’d probably liked her in some way from the first moment he saw her in the bookstore, and now…now he was sure he loved her. There was no doubt about it in his mind. And being able to say that…to hear that the person he loved, loved him back… He never thought it could feel this good, so much so that he never wanted the moment to end.

Kara beamed at him with his words, his face literally lighting up, as she leaned forward again, capturing Mon-El’s lips in another kiss. And at that moment Mon-El realized how good a decision he’d made when he went next to Kara that day, almost eight months ago, in the bookstore, and told her to not buy that horrible book. Because he’d never felt happier than when he was with her, and that was a feeling he’d never, ever wanted to let go of.


End file.
